Rosendale and Tester exchange letters over health care

State Insurance Commissioner Matt Rosendale and Sen. Jon Tester exchanged lively letters this week over health care reform with Rosendale calling on the Democratic senator to not fight needed change and Tester telling Rosendale to give Montanans information to make good decisions on how best to make quality health care more affordable.

Rosendale said cost-sharing reductions are only part of the discussion. He said the American health care system faced serious challenges long before the Affordable Care Act, which was championed by then-President Barack Obama.

He said the act, also known as Obamacare, was “riddled with so many critical flaws that it has created a whole new set of severe consequences for Montanans.”
He said his office will ensure residents will have information and given the chance to comment.

He makes a request of Tester:

“Since Congress, an institution in which you serve, has so thoroughly made a mess of our health care system, I encourage you to stand up for bipartisan reforms at the state level.”

He criticized Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock of vetoing six bipartisan bills from the legislative session which would have addressed some concerns in Tester’s letter. He singled out House Bill 652, which he said would have helped with uncertainty over 2018 rates. Rosendale criticized the veto decision in May.